Renewing of medium in a single step media culture protocol provides no advantage to mouse embryo development when observed continuously through time lapse microimagery

CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that blastomere symmetry is an im-
The effect of LA concentrations on the mouse embryo development in vitro
portant predictor of blastocyst development and is sufficient for morpholog-ical selection of cleavage stage embryos.
RENEWING OF MEDIUM IN A SINGLE STEP MEDIA CULTURE
PROTOCOL PROVIDES NO ADVANTAGE TO MOUSE EMBRYO
DEVELOPMENT WHEN OBSERVED CONTINUOUSLY THROUGH
TIME LAPSE MICROIMAGERY. M. D. VerMilyea, J. R. Graham,
M. J. Tucker. Shady Grove Fertility Reproductive Science Center, Rockville,
OBJECTIVE: Extended embryo culture and single blastocyst transfer has
resulted in the reformulation and development of new in-vitro culture media.
a-b, c-d, c-e, d-e, f-g, h-i indicate significant differences in the column
Sequential media protocols require a disruption of embryo culture whereas
medium in a non-interrupted single step medium (SSM) protocol is used con-
CONCLUSION: Data from the present study indicate that 1 mM of LA
tinuously. There has been debate as to whether refreshing of SSM may be
supplementation to culture medium is practically useful for mouse embry-
beneficial for embryo development; however, some argue against the distur-
onic development under both low and high oxygen tensions.
bance to embryo(s) in culture. We applied time-lapse microimagery technol-ogy to the comparison of mouse embryos cultured in sequential, static andrenewed culture media protocols.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thawed 1-cell mouse embryos (Embry-
otech) were cultured individually in 25ml of either a prototype SSM (Irvine
Scientific) or Quinn’s Advantage Cleavage and Blastocyst media (QA,Sage) at 37C in reduced oxygen. Development was assessed using the Em-
SUCCESS OF CLOMIPHENE CITRATE IN A COUNTY POPULA-
bryoScope Monitoring System (Unisense, Fertilitech). Images were acquired
TION. E. Mellano, K. Brennan, C. Holschneider. Obstetrics and Gynecology,
at timed intervals for key morphologic stages as Mean Development Time
University of California Los Angeles Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA;
(MDT). Traditional scoring of the degree of hatching (>50%) at 120hrs
Obstetrics and Gynecology, Olive View-UCLA Medical Center, Sylmar, CA.
RESULTS: The MDT of 1-cell embryos, cultured to the hatched blastocyst
OBJECTIVE: To determine the effectiveness of clomiphene citrate (CC)
stage in assigned media were all similar (P>0.15, Student’s t-Test). At 120
and timed intercourse (TI) in achieving pregnancy in an underserved county
hrs, by traditional scoring methods 69% (25/36) Sage, 61% (22/36) SSM
and 55% (20/36) SSM Renewed were graded as >50% hatched (not signif-
icant, Sage vs. SSM (P¼0.62); Sage vs. SSM Renewed (P¼0.33); SSM vs.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: The medical records of all women who
SSM Renewed (P¼0.81, Fisher’s exact).
presented to a metropolitan public hospital for infertility between September
CONCLUSION: The detailed data on cleavage events and subsequent
2010 and January 2011 and were prescribed CC for ovulation induction or
stages of development, provided by time-lapse imagery, show no statisti-
superovulation were analyzed. Data was collected on the 35 women identi-
cal difference in MDT of 1-cell embryos cultured in Sage sequential,
fied including age, body mass index (BMI), infertility diagnosis, day 3 folli-
SSM or SSM renewed media. No differences in hatching rates, by tradi-
cle stimulating hormone (FSH) and estradiol (E2) levels, semen analysis,
tional scoring, were also noted. Our results support the use of a SSM
hysterosalpingogram (HSG) results, number of CC cycles, day 21 and 28 pro-
static protocol in IVF laboratories which may offer cost advantages
gesterone (P4) and BhCG, with pregnancy defined as a positive BhCG.
and simplified culture management when compared to sequential culture
RESULTS: Of the 35 patients, 31 had normal semen analyses and HSGs,
and known ovulatory status and BhCG results of at least one cycle. The totalnumber of CC cycles was 86; of these, 58 were ovulatory as defined by P4 >3 ng/ml and 2 pregnancies were identified. The ovulation rate per CC cyclewas 67.4%. The pregnancy rate per ovulatory cycle was 3.45%. The patients
were then subdivided by those who always ovulated (16/31); those who
sometimes ovulated (6/31); and those who never ovulated (9/31); no signif-
EFFECTS OF ALPHA-LIPOIC ACID ON THE MOUSE EMBRY-
icant differences regarding age, day 3 E2 or FSH were found. However,
ONIC DEVELOPMENT IN VITRO. J. Yoon, K. Juhn, S. Yoon, Y. Ko,
women with a higher BMI and with polycystic ovarian syndrome or oligome-
J.-H. Lim. Maria Research Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Korea Univer-
norrhea were less likely to ovulate with CC (P<0.005).
sity, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Maria Fertility Hospital, Seoul, Republic of
CONCLUSION: The majority of patients ovulated with CC, but few be-
came pregnant. Of the two documented pregnancies, one was an ectopicand the other was lost to follow-up. In this county population, CC and TI alone
OBJECTIVE: Alpha-lipoic acid (LA) was reported to reduce the level of
are not an effective treatment for infertility. Adjuncts, such as dexamethasone
extracellular reactive oxygen species, which resulted in increase in the cell
or metformin, may increase success in this underserved population.
number of blastocyst stage embryos (Linck et al., 2007). The objective of
the present study was to determine optimal concentration of LA when supple-mented to culture medium under either low or high oxygen tension.
DESIGN: Experimental animal studyMATERIALS AND METHODS: Zygotes derived from BD F1 mice were
developed in MRC#D01 medium (Biosupply Co., Korea) in the absence orpresence of LA (0, 1, 10, 100 mM) under either 5% O2, 6% CO2 and 89%
DOES EARLIER ADMINISTRATION OF HUMAN CHORIONIC
N2 or 6% CO2 in air. Embryo development was monitored on day 4 and 5.
GONADOTROPIN (hCG) IMPROVE THE PROBABILITY OF PREG-
Efficacy of LA supplementation for blastocyst development was compared
NANCY IN CYCLES STIMULATED WITH REC-FSH AND GnRH
using a t-test and data were analyzed by SPSS.
ANTAGONISTS? A PROSPECTIVE RANDOMIZED TRIAL.
RESULTS: Regardless of O2 tension, 100 mM of LA significantly reduced
D. Kyrou, E. M. Kolibianakis, H. M. Fatemi, B. C. Tarlatzis, H. Tournaye,
the development of expanding blastocysts on day 4 and hatching or more de-
P. Devroey. Centre for Reproductive Medicine, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brus-
veloped blastocysts on day 5. Under 20% O2 tension, 1-10 mM of LA were
significantly effective for the development of hatching or more developedblastocysts on day 5 (P<0.05), but not for the expanding or more developed
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this trial was to assess the effect of altering
ones on day 4. Under 5% O2 tension, however, 10 mM of LA significantly de-
the timing of hCG administration on the probability of pregnancy in patients
creased the blastocyst development on both day 4 and 5 (P<0.05).
stimulated with rec-FSH/GnRH antagonists for IVF.